Children’s Cancer Camps of Nebraska

dba Camp CoHoLo

2009 Annual Report

 

Mission Statement and Goals

Children’s Cancer Camps of Nebraska’s (Camp CoHoLo) mission is to provide a recreational experience for children with cancer and blood related illnesses to allow them an opportunity to participate in the normal activities of children.

 

Camp CoHoLo’s goals are:

 

Friendship:                    Helping to promote relationships for children and families who are facing the same challenges;

Recreation:                    Providing a fun and safe environment for children to participate in regular camping activities;

Education/Awareness:    Informing the public about the psychosocial aspects of oncology and the special needs of the patients and their families;

Support:                        Building a network of support for our children and their families.

 

Accomplishments

Camp CoHoLo 2009

The annual Camp CoHoLo was held on July 19 – 22 (Session 1, ages 6 – 11 years old) and July 22 – 26 (Session 2, ages 12 – 17 years old) at the Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center near Gretna, Nebraska.  The 2009 camp marked the 25th consecutive year that Camp CoHoLo has been held, and the 4-H Center has been the home of the camp since its inception.

 

Camp CoHoLo hosted 133 campers at two sessions in 2009, compared to 139 in 2008, 130 in 2007, 117 in both 2006 and 2005, 120 in 2004, 113 in 2003 and 125 in 2002.  There were 31 camp counselors who remained at camp for Session I and 17 camp counselors in residence for Session 2.  In 2009, 43% (20 of 47) of the in-residence cabin counselors were former CoHoLo campers.  In total, over 7,000 volunteer hours were donated to Camp CoHoLo during 2008, including:

 

Planning hours

Board of Directors and Operations Committee

Camp Director

 

Camp session hours

In-residence camp counselors

In-residence volunteers  

Photography and DVD production volunteers

Volunteers from other civic organizations

 

Other camp-related volunteer hours

Winter carnival volunteer time

CoHoLo volunteer time at Cox Classic events

 

Total volunteer hours

2008

478

96

 

 

4,062

1,656

150

38

 

 

127

   577

 

7,184

2009

725

114

 

 

4,368

1,911

150

50

 

 

60

  632

 

8,010

 

The 2009 camp had a ’25 Years of Camp CoHoLo’ theme, and the campers enjoyed participating in many of the activities that have been favorites of campers since its inception.  Major activities during camp included an afternoon at Papio Bay waterpark, the introduction of a new high-wire skills course, rides in a tethered hot air balloon, a fireworks shows, a camp-wide kickball tournament, a carnival and a dance.  The 2009 camp marked the introduction of a giant inflatable water slide, which is now surrounded by a wooden deck constructed by the 4-H staff.  Of course, camp was also filled with the staples of camp life, including laser tag games in the woods, crafts, indoor and outdoor games, high-wire and zip-line challenges, and campfires. 

 

The weather for the 2009 camp was typical for a week in July, and with only a touch of rain, most activities went on as planned.  With ample supplies of bottled water, bug spray and sunscreen lotion, the medical staff and cabin counselors were able to keep the campers hydrated and healthy.  The introduction of air conditioners in the camper cabins several years ago has been a welcome addition.  Of the 133 campers who attended, 20% were ‘on treatment’ during camp and an additional 43% took medication for their condition, but nearly all of those children participated in every activity offered at camp.  In 2008, 22% were on treatment during camp and an additional 41% took medication for their condition.  In 2007, 28% were on treatment during camp and an additional 28% took medication for their condition. 

 

The 2009 camp marked Cindy Reilly’s sixth year as camp director.  The camp director is also the leader of the Operations Team that, in 2009, consisted of nine volunteers who were responsible for planning and getting ready for Camp.  This Camp Director appoints and works closely with chairpersons for the following committees: programming, staffing, training, public relations, registration and recruitment, and support services. The Operations Team meets monthly throughout the year to ensure that camp operations flow smoothly.  Because of these extraordinary efforts, the evaluations from campers, parents and counselors all reflected that the 2009 camp was extremely successful and well-organized. 

 

Winter Carnival

In an effort to keep camp friendships alive through the year, Camp CoHoLo presented a Winter Carnival on Sunday, March 29, 2009 at the Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center.  Campers and their entire families were invited to attend, along with volunteers and their families.  A total of 263 adults and children attended the event.  The Carnival was staffed with volunteers who were primarily members, friends and family of the Program Committee and Board of Directors. 

 

Sibling Camp

CoHoLo’s inaugural sibling camp was scheduled for October 9 – 11, 2009, but was postponed due to concerns regarding the spread of the swine flu.  The camp was rescheduled for March 26 – 28, 2010.

 

Cox Classic charity recipient

For nearly a decade, Camp CoHoLo has been fortunate to be a ‘named charity’ that benefits from the proceeds of the weeklong Cox Classic, a Nationwide Tour golf tournament that is held each year in Omaha in late July or early August.  Over one thousand members of the community pay a $40 fee to volunteer at the Cox Classic each year, and Camp CoHoLo supporters have had a strong showing at the event for several years.  This year 55 CoHoLo volunteers devoted 632 hours of time to support the event.  In 2009, the Cox Classic distributed approximately $150,000 in charitable contributions to its twelve named charities. 

 

Officers and Board Members

The Officers and Board Members of Camp CoHoLo, as of October 1, 2009, were as follows:

 

President

Jay Slagle, CPA*

Midwest Eye Care

 

Vice President

Berta Ackerson

OPPD

Public Relations Director

Jane Williams

CSG Systems

Chief Financial Officer

Steve Roberts, CPA*

Godfather’s Pizza

 

Secretary (non-voting member)

Heidi Smith

 

Camp Director

Cindy Reilly

 

 

Fund Developer

Chris Pudenz, CPA*

ConAgra

 

 

* CPA in inactive status

At-Large Members

Jeff Baldwin, PharmD

UNMC College of Pharmacy

 

Sharon Knudsen, Parent Advisor

Elkhorn Public Schools

 

Mike Skogland

Patterson Dental

 

Galen Meysenburg

HDR

 

Johnathon Schuster, RN

Children’s Hospital

 

Bill Lastovica

First State Bank – Yutan

 

Lisa Runco

UMA Dept. of Internal Medicine

 

Dan Fischer, JD

Koley Jessen

 

Eric Hoie, PharmD

Creighton University

 

Financial Data

The information below reflects the financial results of Camp CoHoLo for the fiscal years ending September 30, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005.  Camp CoHoLo has no employees or paid staffers, and thus no salary or benefit expense is included in the financial summary.  In addition, Camp CoHoLo relies heavily on in-kind donations that are not reported as either income or expenses on the financial statements.  During the five-year period presented below, 92.6% of all expenses were spent directly on programming expenses, with an additional 6.7% of expenses devoted to administrative functions in support of those programs.  Fundraising expenses represent 0.7% of expenses over the past five years.

 


2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

Income

 

 

 

 

 

  Donations

$77,133

$70,538

$94,994

$81,613

$68,516

  Registration fees

1,625

1,840

1,655

1,495

1,380

  Product sales

552

919

2,084

358

491

  Total revenues

79,310

73,297

98,733

83,466

70,387

 

 

 

 

 

 

Program expenses

 

 

 

 

 

  Camp food and lodging

28,440

27,865

23,938

23,388

21,453

  Camp activities

31,075

23,374

12,973

15,493

6,659

  Camper gifts, videos and apparel

6,767

10,730

0

1,795

2,072

  Camp alumni scholarships

0

1,000

4,000

6,500

3,000

  Volunteer processing/education

31

485

3,063

1,493

768

    Subtotal program expenses

66,313

63,454

43,974

48,669

33,952

 

 

 

 

 

 

Administrative expenses

 

 

 

 

 

  Printing

1,522

608

538

669

545

  Postage

96

465

244

440

106

  Insurance

1,431

1477

1,725

1,442

970

  Storage

0

2,446

888

1,125

585

  Miscellaneous

738

377

31

0

180

    Subtotal administrative expenses

3,787

5,373

3,426

3,676

2,386

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fundraising expenses

 

 

 

 

 

  Public relations

0

0

320

166

200

  Printing

0

0

0

1,239

0

  Postage

0

0

0

0

0

    Subtotal fundraising expenses

0

0

320

1,405

200

      Total expenses

70,100

68,827

47,720

53,750

36,538

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net increase/(decrease) in

 

 

 

 

 

  fund balance from operations

9,210

4,470

51,013

29,716

33,849

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment activity

 

 

 

 

 

  Realized investment gain/(loss)

4,399

15,165

940

347

870

  Unrealized investment gain/(loss)

(14,484)

(69,225)

44,096

10,641

19,060

  Mutual fund fees

(2,363)

(2,824)

0

0

0

  Depreciation on capital assets

(1,785)

(1,785)

0

0

0

    Subtotal investment activity

(14,233)

(58,669)

45,036

10,988

19,930

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total net increase/(decrease) in

 

 

 

 

 

  fund balance

(5,023)

(54,199)

96,049

40,704

53,779

Beginning fund balance, Oct. 1

282,495

336,694

240,645

199,941

146,162

  Ending fund balance, Sept. 30

$277,472

$282,495

$336,694

$240,645

$199,941

 

IRS Form 990 tax returns are available for Camp CoHoLo upon request.

 

 

Additional Information

Additional information regarding Camp CoHoLo and its operations can be requested by accessing the Camp CoHoLo website at www.campcoholo.com, or alternatively:

 

By phone:

Jay Slagle, BOD President

(402) 552-2806

By mail: Camp CoHoLo

PO Box 24466

Omaha, NE  68124

By e-mail:

jslagle@midwesteyecare.com

coholodirector@cox.net